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5 Jan 2010 : Column 143W—continued
E-mail: Fraud
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures his Department has in place regarding the monitoring of emails making fraudulent offers to recipients; and if he will make a statement. [306809]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government do not routinely monitor the internet. Where law enforcement agencies are investigating a crime initiated on the internet such as fraud, they are able to use a number of powers, including those under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which are proportionate and specific to the case.
Entry Clearances
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers were permitted to enter the UK in the categories listed in paragraphs 8.4 and 8.5 of the Migration Advisory Committee's October 2009 review of the shortage occupation lists for the UK and Scotland in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [302853]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 30 November 2009]: The information is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, columns 888-9W, on entry clearances, what the average caseworking time to process a (a) postal, (b) premium and (c) student batch application was in the latest period for which figures are available. [306371]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 14 December 2009]: The information requested is as follows:
(a) For postal applications during October 2009 UKBA delivered concluded applications against published service standards for the different routes as follows:
Family-53 per cent. against the service standard of 65 per cent. in four weeks.
Employment-89 per cent. against the service standard of 75 per cent. in four weeks.
Study-91 per cent. against the service standard of 75 per cent. in four weeks.
Visits-61 per cent. against the service of 65 per cent. in four weeks.
(b) For premium applications during November 2009 UKBA provided 82 per cent. of applicants with same day service.
(c) Student batch applications cannot be measured and are included in the study route performance at (a).
The data used are from Internal Management Information only and do not constitute national statistics.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to issue a visa to Mr. Hapinderjit Singh, ref 2616562; what the reason is for the time taken to issue the visa; and if he will make a statement. [306737]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 14 December 2009]: The UK Border Agency Operation in New Delhi only received confirmation on 11 December that Mr. Singh's appeal against their decision to refuse him entry clearance had been allowed. UKBA has now written to Mr. Singh informing him of this and asking him to submit his passport so that his visa can be issued without further delay.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure that any changes to Tier 4 of the points-based system do not reduce the attractiveness of the UK as a study destination to foreign students. [306345]
Mr. Woolas: The Prime Minister announced on 12 November 2009 that a review of tier 4, the student tier of the Points Based System, would be conducted by a joint team from the UK Border Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The review team have been asked to assess whether the current tier 4 policy strikes the appropriate balance between facilitating access of genuine students to education in the UK and preventing abuse by economic migrants.
The review is looking at evidence gathered from the early stages of tier 4, which was launched in March this year, to look at the case for or against any policy changes. The review will consider all of the available data and evidence, including the potential effect of any changes on the attractiveness of the UK as a study destination for international students.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU IT contractors in the Tier 2 category (a) applied for permission to stay in the UK and (b) were granted permission to stay in the UK in each month since the inception of Tier 2 of the points-based system. [307728]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 15 December 2009]: The information requested is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU IT contractors in the Tier 2 category have permission to stay in the UK. [307729]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 15 December 2009]: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Foreign Workers: Entry Clearances
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of security clearance is required for IT specialists employed on temporary visas by IBM (India) who work in Somerset with access to private information about staff of Avon and Somerset Police. [306347]
Mr. Hanson: This is a matter for the chief constable of Avon and Somerset.
Identity Cards
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have voluntarily applied for an identity card (a) since 30 November 2009 and (b) to date. [306360]
Alan Johnson: Since 20 October 2009, and up to and including 10 December 2009, over 2,400 applicants have been enrolled or have made an enrolment appointment for an identity card. Approximately 1,600 of those applicants have enrolled or have made an appointment since 30 November 2009.
Identity Cards: Databases
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information will be held on the National Identity Register on identity card holders that is not held on the UK Passport Database in respect of passport holders. [306359]
Alan Johnson: The information currently held on the UK passport database is very similar to that which is held on the National Identity Register. In addition, the Register holds:
1. Fingerprint biometrics, which will be required for passport issue in due course.
2. Some different administrative information to support the efficient operation of the National Identity Service. This includes:
(a) National insurance number to aid identity verification checks for identity cards, and in time, passports.
(b) Answers to "shared secrets" chosen by applicants which will allow them to identify themselves over the telephone, facilitating quicker reporting of lost or stolen documents and change of address
(c) A unique number, the national identity registration number, which binds recorded details relating to one person together in the same record.
Identity Cards: Expenditure
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to his Department of providing identity cards has been to date; and what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the identity card trial scheme in Greater Manchester. [305388]
Meg Hillier: The National Identity Service (NIS) Cost Report presented to Parliament in October 2009 sets out the latest estimated 10-year future costs of the NIS, which includes the initial costs of roll-out which started in Greater Manchester on 30 November.
The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) Annual Report and Accounts for 2009-10 will include audited disclosure of operational identity card income and expenditure.
The National Identity Service combines a number of programmes to deliver modern passports which include facial images and fingerprints, as well as identity cards and other improvements. This is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives because much of the technology and operational processes involved are shared. Total spend on NIS future development projects since April 2006 to September 2009 is £216 million.
Illegal Immigrants: Bail
Mr. Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants on bail have broken the conditions of their bail in the last five years. [305793]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 10 December 2009]: The UK Border Agency does not hold data centrally on breaches of immigration bail.
Obtaining the information requested would entail a search of case records relating to all individuals who have been placed on immigration bail in the last five years, thereby incurring disproportionate cost.
Immigration
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken by the UK Border Agency to process an application for leave to remain in the UK. [305715]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 10 December 2009]: The following table shows performance for LTR casework by application type for the most recent reporting month (October 2009).
| Performance by workstream | Service standard | Percentage of applications dealt with within service standard for month end October 2009 |
| Note: These data are not provided under National Statistics protocols. They have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. | ||
Immigration: Detention Centres
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to residential and operational staffing of immigration removal centres over Christmas 2009 and the New Year period. [304953]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 10 December 2009]: Immigration removal centres operate throughout the year and are open during Christmas 2009 and new year period. Each centre is making arrangements to celebrate Christmas. Staffing will be maintained at the standard level for each centre to provide continuity of service and to ensure a safe environment for all persons detained.
Immigration: Nepal
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes there have been to Immigration Rules in respect of Nepal. [306767]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 14 December 2009]: There have been no recent changes to the Immigration Rules in respect of Nepal. Chapter 15 section 2A of the Immigration Directorate Instructions was updated in June to reflect the Home Secretary's announcement that any Gurkha with more than four years service who had been discharged from the Brigade of Gurkhas before 1 July 1997 would be eligible to apply for settlement in the UK.
Independent Safeguarding Authority
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a privacy impact assessment was produced in relation to the (a) creation and (b) operation of the schemes overseen by the Independent Safeguarding Authority. [305154]
Meg Hillier: The Independent Safeguarding Authority was formally vested on 2 January 2008 and commenced operations in March 2008. This pre-dated the mandatory requirement to produce a privacy impact assessment.
The Vetting and Barring Scheme programme, which includes establishment of the Independent Safeguarding
Authority, is being delivered in phases. The programme is currently in its fourth phase and a Privacy Impact Assessment is scheduled to be completed during the remaining phases of the programme.
National Public Order Intelligence Unit: Finance
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009, Official Report, column 339, on the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, what the budget of the unit was in each financial year since 2003. [302960]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The National Public Order Intelligence Unit has provided the following information on its annual budget for each financial year since 2003.
| £ million | |
Offenders: Radicalism
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many units within his Department are developing interventions and programmes for extremist offenders following their release from a custodial sentence. [308121]
Mr. Hanson: One unit, the Prevent Interventions Unit, is working with a number of community based organisations to develop a range of interventions to support individuals, and this target group will include some offenders convicted of terrorist related offences. The unit also work with statutory partners, such as the National Offender Management Service, to develop interventions that support offenders convicted of a terrorist offence as well as offenders who are vulnerable to recruitment or have already been recruited by violent extremists.
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